Never Underestimate a Half-Blood: The Sea of Monsters
by Fantastical394
Summary: Book 2- In which Percy gets a brother, Annabeth is a Nobody, Grover gets married, Tyson loves ponies, and Ariana has severe, Kronos-induced PTSD. Evil is still out there, threatening Camp Half-Blood, and it is up to the biggest group of misfits ever to keep it safe. Can they do it? Will they all survive? Will Ariana ever learn who her parents are?... maybe not.
1. I Just Want to Eat My Waffles in Peace

**GUYS I AM BACK CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Probably not. I haven't updated in a year, and yet, here I am, ready to run with this sequel. I think it's going to be pretty good, with a lot of focus on Ari's character development. Secrets will be revealed, battles will be fought, and smiles will be shared.**

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 **Ariana I**

"One day." I huffed, flopping down on the giant blue couch in the big house, splaying my limbs out dramatically to show my frustration. I let my legs hang limply over the side, with my one arm dangling. My other arm was laying on top of my face, covering my eyes. "One day I am going to wake up, and there will be no monsters. There will be no hellhounds. There will be no gorgons. There will be no gods-damn golden bulls running around lighting everything on fire. One day I will wake up, and I am going to be able to eat my waffles in PEACE!"

"You're a demigod Ari." Travis said from his place next to the window. "It kind of comes with the territory."

"A girl can dream, can't she?" I retorted, removing my hand from my eyes.

All of the head counselors were once again crammed in the main room of the big house. Today was the second day of the summer session, and campers, new and old, were still pouring in. With an increase in monster attacks, new half-bloods were being found all over the country. Even some of the previously more empty cabins were now getting full, and the previously full cabins were now even more crowded. The older campers were already stretched thin, trying to settle in new campers and reorganize cabins, and now, with monsters attacking camp, it was becoming even harder to get all the counselors together. Today was the first day since the end of last summer that every single counselor was present.

And the only reason we were all together was because of the fight this morning, the one that involved our campers, two golden, fire-breathing bulls, and a baby cyclops that is apparently Percy's half-brother.

What kind of a world are we living in?

Katie and Castor were talking casually in the corner about the summer's garden, and all the things they were going to plant in it this year. Pollux was slowly filling and emptying a water glass with his hands, his body slumped lazily at the table. Beckendorf and Silena were chatting at the table, their hands occasionally touching. (And they thought they were being subtle!) The Stolls were sitting on the arm rests of the couch, tossing a ball back and forth over my head. Ever since Luke's…departure, the Head Counselor position in the Hermes cabin had opened up. Usually, when a counselor retires, the person with the most years after them takes charge. But, in the case of Cabin 11, that person was me. And, no matter how much respect I got, we decided it would be a good idea to let someone older be in charge, at least for a while. So, for now, Travis, Connor, and I were triple-counselors.

Clarisse was sitting at the table, hands clenched tightly together, her face locked in what could only be described as a glower. She sported a couple decent bruises and a large burn on her arm. She had taken the brunt of the bull attack, and even though she refused to show it, I could tell she was exhausted. She had been working around the clock to try and keep the camp as safe as possible, but even children of Ares couldn't keep going forever.

The last two people entered the room, completing the group of counselors. The boy scanned the group, obviously looking for something. His face settled into a smile when his green eyes finally landed on my blue and brown ones. His black hair had gotten shaggier and he was a little bit taller than last summer, but he was still the same doofus I had had dinner with a few months ago.

"Ari." He grinned, rushing up to me. He opened his arms and pulled me into a bear hug.

"Hey there Waterboy." I chuckled, returning the hug. I pulled away, looking up at his face. He had gotten taller, and I had stayed just as short as before. Great. "Glad to see you."

"You too Ari." He said. "Um… what is everyone doing here?" He asked, looking around the room in confusion. I felt a little bad. He had just gotten here, not half an hour ago, and he was already in the thick of it. Ah Hades, I LIVE in the thick of it.

"We're here to have a meeting." Annabeth announced, appearing beside him. She gave me a quick grin and turned on her heels, taking her place at the head of the table. That got everyone else's attention, as they all immediately began to squeeze in around the ping pong table. I took the seat beside her, and Percy sat on the other side of her.

"About what?" Katie asked.

"The monster attacks have been becoming more and more frequent." Annabeth said slowly. "We need to increase border patrols." There were a few groans from some of the counselors, but a few of them murmured in agreement,

"Wait… where's Chiron?" Percy spoke up, leaning forward, looking around the room as if expecting to see the centaur. "Shouldn't he be here to help us plan?"

The room got awkwardly silent, and I looked over to Annabeth, my eyes asking a silent question. Did you tell him? She shook her head back at me, her eyes slightly sad. I cringed, a little saddened by this as Percy didn't know, yet. I know that Percy really like and looked up to the centaur.

"Uh…" Travis said awkwardly. He looked around the room, as if waiting for someone to make the next move.

"What is it?" Percy voice was now dripping with concern, his green eyes wide.

"Percy." Annabeth said quietly. "Chiron was fired."

His entire face fell at that sentence, his eyes disbelieving. "Fired?" He asked. "Why?"

"Thalia's tree." Annabeth answered. I could see the wheels turning in Percy's head as he tried to comprehend what she was saying.

"Chiron….?" He trailed off, not daring to voice his fears.

"The gods blamed him for it." Beckendorf spoke up, his gravelly voice tight with anger. I had to stifle my look of surprise as I listened to him. In all the years I had known him, Charlie rarely spoke in the counselor meetings, and when he did, it was because he knew it had to be said. That was what made his words so powerful in my eyes. "Since his father is Kronos. They are saying that he is working for him."

"What?" Percy leapt out of his chair, his eyes flaring. "How could they say that? How could they? Chiron would never betray us, not like that, not like Lu-" He cut himself off abruptly as the words got stuck in his throat. He looked like someone had just struck him, and I couldn't blame him. I felt like that every time someone mentioned Luke to me.

His betrayal had hurt, not just me, not just Percy. His betrayal had hurt everyone at camp. Most campers had looked to him as a leader, a friend, a brother. He was someone who had brought the camp together. And now, it was like a hole had been left in the camp, a hole with no way to fill it. The betrayal had stung like a scorpion sting, burned like fire, hurt like the aftermath of a battle with Furies. His betrayal was what had started the whole chain of events, the Tree dying, the need for patrols, the monster attacks. His betrayal had wounded this camp, and we were still recovering.

"We know Percy." Beckendorf said cautiously, his demeanor calm. "We all feel the same way, but there is nothing we can do about that right now."

"Charlie's right." Silena said, her silky voice a stark contrast to Beckendorf's gravelly one. "Right now we need to focus on keeping camp safe. I mean, we've been getting more and more new people every day. We can't be expected to keep all of them safe."

"That's why we need to focus on training them up." Clarisse butted in. "All new campers need to know at least basic levels of self-defense and battle strategy."

"Clarisse is right." Annabeth agreed, and boy, I bet she never thought those words would leave her mouth. "It's up to us to make sure that our siblings can fight for themselves. Make sure everyone is learning how to defend themselves. I don't care who their parent is." She shot a look to Silena, who shrugged and rolled her eyes, not denying the fact that her siblings wouldn't be able to fight for themselves.

"Alright." Lee nodded. "So we train more and increase patrols. Agreed?" He looked around the group, getting nods from all of the counselors. "Okay, if that is all, I need to get out of here. No offense to you guys, but I have three new campers that need to get settled in."

"Me too." Silena stood up, straightening her denim shorts as she did so. "I need to get to the stables before a newbie kills a pegasus." That caused an eruption of giggles from the people at the table.

"Alright." Annabeth nodded. "This meeting is adjourned. See everyone tonight for dinner and the campfire. Lee, you guys have sing-along tonight, and Ares has skit. Everyone good?" Clarisse looked like she wanted to protest to having skit, but a sharp look from Annabeth cut her off.

"Yeah." The daughter of Ares mumbled, looking away.

With that, everyone got up and began to disperse. Lee and Silena took off together, hoping to get to their campers before all Hades broke loose. Travis and Connor stood up simultaneously, further proving my theory that they are the same person.

"Hey Ari?" Travis said.

"Yeah?" I turned towards the duo.

"We're gonna take the crew to the climbing wall." Connor answered.

"Okay." I shrugged. "Keep a sharp eye out. Some of them aren't the most coordinated." That was the understatement of the century. Hermes campers were quick, but their hand eye coordination was absolutely atrocious. "Especially Lyla and Elliot. Okay?" Those were our two newest campers, and, even though they were older than me, they were immature and naive.

"Aye aye Captain!" They said in unison, both of them giving me sharp, military salutes, something they had been doing to me ever since they first came to camp. I rolled my eyes and waved them away, chuckling as they tripped over each other on their way out the door.

I looked out of the corner of my eye towards Percy, who was sitting, still slumped in his seat at the ping pong table. His eyes were glazed and sad, staring straight ahead. All of the others had left the table, leaving the Son of Poseidon to sit by himself. I frowned a little and walked over to him. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly.

"I can't believe he's gone." He murmured, not looking at me. His voice sounded detached and sad, like he was saying his words on autopilot.

"A lot has changed." I sighed. "But it'll be okay." Even to my own ears, it didn't sound convincing, but it was the best I could do for now. "I'm gonna take a walk. Come and find me when you are ready to talk." With one final squeeze, I released his shoulder and followed the others out of the room.

As I reached the porch, I practically collapsed against the railing. I gasped slightly as I felt hot tears pool in the corners of my eyes. I had just told Percy that everything would be okay, but how could it? How could it be okay? None of this was okay! I couldn't tell Percy about how I was afraid to be alone, because of what Luke had done to me in the woods. I couldn't tell him that I had nightmares about Kronos every night. I couldn't tell him about how I would black out throughout the day and wake up in a completely different place. I couldn't tell him any of that, because if he knew that, he would never believe that anything would be okay.

I didn't believe that anything would be okay.

But I couldn't tell anyone that. I couldn't. Not when so much had changed over the past few months. Right now, nobody needed my drama. They just needed me to be sarcastic, sassy, and smart Ariana.

They needed me to be Ari, and I couldn't disappoint them by being anything less.

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	2. The Pony Gives Me Life Advice

**Woohoo! I love writing Percy Jackson, and this chapter was so much fun. I am absolutely blown away by the responses I have been getting on this story after just a few days. You guys rock!**

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 **Happy Reading!**

Percy I

The term "happy camper" is something we've all heard time and time again. It means someone who is content, someone who is all set and pleased with the way their life is going.

Let me just tell you: not one person in this entire place looked like a happy camper.

No. They looked like the most depressed group of kids on the planet. They all held the same expression, one that was eerily similar to those worn by kids that had been forced to attend the military schools I had gone to. They were frustrated, confused, sad, angry, lost. They were anything but happy.

I recognized many of the kids from last year, but aside from the occasional "Hello.", no one acknowledged me as I made my way to Cabin 3. Well, people were definitely looking my way, but they weren't looking at me. No, they were looking at the honest-to-gods BABY CYCLOPS that was walking beside me. Yeah, that's right. Weak, crybaby Tyson- he was a cyclops, one capable of withstanding fire, one able to punch bronze bulls in the face.

Can you say shocking?

Tyson, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice the stares. He was far too fascinated with everything else in the camp, from the stables, to the cabins, to the lake. His eye, that's right, eye, was wide with awe and disbelief.

We finally arrived at Cabin 3, and I released a long sigh as I pushed the door open. It was exactly the same as I had left it. Of course it was. I was the only one who lived there.

"Woah. Is this all for you?" Tyson asked in wonderment, stepping into the cabin behind me.

"Yeah." I nodded, tossing What little stuff I had on to a random bunk. My arrival had been on very short notice, so I hadn't been able to bring anything from home with me, but luckily I had stashed some clothes and supplies in the cabin at the end of last summer, so I wasn't too concerned.

"Why?" Tyson turned to look at me.

"You get out in a cabin based on your godly parent." I explained quickly, not bothering to explain the ins and outs of claiming to someone who thought so simply.

"Then why are you alone?" He peered down at me curiously, and I swallowed carefully. He wasn't trying to be mean or anything, he was just curious, like a new camper would be, but that didn't mean it wasn't a sore subject.

"Uh…" I tried to find the right words. What was I supposed to say? 'Oh, I have no siblings because I am accident and technically illegal in the eyes of the gods?' Yeah, no. "I just don't have any siblings."

"Oh." Tyson nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. I breathed a sigh of relief when his mind began to wander to other things. He was a sweet guy, well, cyclops, but he was a bit too much to handle at times.

I heard a soft knock at the door, and turned around to see Ari standing in the doorway. She was very tan, like she always was, and her muscles seemed even more defined than last year. She wore a pair of athletic shorts and a Camp t-shirt. Her dark hair was loose and curly, flowing all around her. She had a small smile on her face, the one that made her look like she knew something I didn't, which she probably did. Yup, this was the same Ari.

Except, it wasn't.

Everything about her looked the same, until you got to her eyes. The striking difference between her blue eye and her brown eye still shocked me every time I saw it, but right now, that was not what I was focused on. I wasn't focused on how her eyes looked, but in the look in her eyes. Their normal energy and shine had cracked, giving way to exhaustion and sadness. They were slightly glazed and unfocused, which didn't look right on her. I knew something was wrong, and I had a pretty good guess as to what it was. Luke.

His betrayal had hurt me. He was someone I had trusted, that I had looked up to, and it turned out that he was just using me. That had stung. But, as much as it hurt me, it had to be ten times worse for Ari. She had known him for over half of her life. He had been the closest thing she had to family, and he had turned on her, casting their relationship aside like it meant nothing. I couldn't imagine what that felt like.

"Hey there Waterboy." She smiled, leaning against the doorframe. "You gettin' settled?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "As settled as I can get." I shrugged, bracing myself on one of the bunk bed frames. "How about you?"

She raised an eyebrow at me, her brow furrowed. "Percy, I live here. I'm always settled." She said, staring at me like I was an idiot.

I guess I kind of was. "Ohh…" I grinned sheepishly, bringing a hand to rub my neck. "Yeah, I forgot about that."

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Good job Percy." She clucked her tongue. "Now are you going to stand there all day like Uncle Ferdinand-" I chuckled a little at the now funny memory of our little 'run in' with Medusa. "-or are you going to introduce me to your friend there?"

Confused, I turned and saw Tyson standing almost directly behind me, a big, dopey smile on his face, his arms swinging at his sides. Oh. I had forgotten he was here. Tyson was staring at Ari like she was the most amazing thing he had ever seen, barely blinking, as if he was afraid that if he did, she would disappear.

"Oh, right." I stepped sideways so Ari could get a full view of Tyson. "Ari, this is Tyson. Tyson, this is Ariana."

"Howdy." Ari smiled, using a little fake country accent. She waved a little at the cyclops.

Tyson just stood there, staring at her, completely mesmerized. "Hi." was all he said, his big hand waving clumsily.

Ari chuckled and turned her attention back to me. "You need to come to the Big House. Annabeth is gonna meet us there."

"Why?"

"To talk to Chiron before he leaves."

My brain stopped for a moment. "He's still here?" I asked incredulously.

"Packing to leave as we speak." She sighed, standing up straight. "Which is why we need to go now." She turned on her heel and started to walk away.

After getting over my initial shock, I stood up straight and turned to Tyson. "Come on. We're gonna go meet someone." I patted him on the shoulder, effectively knocking the big guy out of his Ari-induced stupor. He looked down at me and grinned, nodding enthusiastically. He followed me out of the Cabin, coming to walk next to me as soon as we were clear from the door.

We walked in silence for a few moments, with Ari just ahead of us, her hair flapping behind her in the wind, reminding me of a pegasus's mane. The thought made me smile, just a little bit. Tyson sighed next to me, and I looked up to see his eyes still glued to her form. Something about her seemed to fascinate him, but I wasn't sure what.

"What is it Tyson?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

He looked at me and blushed furiously, averting his gaze to his large feet. "She's very pretty." He said sheepishly

I quirked an eyebrow at him, suppressing my laughter. So that's why he had been so silent. He thought she was pretty.

"I guess she is." I said simply. "I've never really thought about it."

"Oh. You think about the blond one, right?" Tyson asked innocently, turning his gaze back to me.

It was now my turn to blush, and boy, did I blush hard. I shook my head furiously at him, waving my arms in a negatory motion.

"No, Tyson. I don't think that way about Annabeth." I said, shaking my head.

"Oh." He nodded, shrugging. "Okay." He turned away, his gaze returning to Ari. I heaved a sigh of relief as the topic disappeared. That was not something I wanted to discuss with anyone, let alone with Tyson.

We spent the rest of the walk in silence, and for that I was grateful.

When we arrived, Annabeth and Ariana were waiting for us by the front door, their stances eerily similar as they both reclined against the door frame.

"Took you long enough, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth sighed, standing up straight. I pretended to be offended at the nickname, but inside, I appreciated the term of endearment. Like when Ari called me Waterboy, it symbolized our close friendship, and that made me smile. "Let's get going."

I was a little confused as to why Annabeth wanted to see Chiron so badly. Hadn't she been with him all school year? Oh wait. She had been with her Dad all year, her first time in five years away from camp. Of course it had to be the same year that the tree was poisoned. Hades, she was probably blaming herself for what had happened, like she could have stopped it if she had been here.

With that thought, I picked up my pace and followed her to Chiron's room.

The centaur in question was now in full on horse form, standing in the middle of his apartment, his 60s music playing softly in the background. He was packing his saddle bags with the few portable belongings he had.

He didn't seem to notice our presence, but when I opened my mouth to speak, I was interrupted by a shrill cry.

"Pony!" Tyson screamed from behind me, his big brown eye wider than I had ever seen it.

Chiron huffed indignantly, looking up at us. "I beg your pardon?"

Annabeth walked up to him, ignoring Tyson's bubbling excitement. "Chiron, you can't leave. I mean, they can't do this to you, right? You've been doing this for 3,000 years. They can't just make you stop now!" She cried, crossing her arms in frustration.

"I'm afraid they can." The centaur said sadly. "Well, someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset, the tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter poisoned? Mr. D had to punish someone." His voice was laced with a dark humor.

"You mean he had to blame someone." I said angrily, shaking my head at the mere thought of the camp director.

"But you didn't do it!" Annabeth huffed.

"Nevertheless." Chiron sighed. "Some of the people in Olympus no longer trust me, based on the circumstances."

The room went silent as I tried to figure out what he was talking about.

"Pony?" Tyson's voice once again filled the room, his tone hopeful.

"I am a Centaur!" Chiron huffed. He may have said more, but I was more focused on trying to decipher his words.

"What circumstances?" I asked, drawing a blank in my mind.

"The poison, the one used on the tree, it, well it came from the Underworld." He said darkly. "It is something that even I have never seen before, something deep from the depths of Tartarus." At the mention of Tartarus, Ariana visibly stiffened beside me, her eyes growing wide, her body trembling.

"Then we know who did it." She said quietly. Her voice was steady and calm, but her eyes were broken and afraid, vulnerable. I knew that a wound had just opened up.

"Do you mean Kro-"

"We do not say his name here, Percy." Chiron cut me off abruptly, his front foot stamping harshly.

"But he tried to cause a civil war in Olympus last year! He probably got Luke to do it before he left, that traitor!" I cried, stepping forwards. It was almost not noticeable, but I caught a glimpse of Ari shuddering. Luke. I thought. Not the best topic around her. Noted.

"That is a possibility." Chiron sighed, sparing a glance at the frozen Ariana as he did so, his paternal instincts kicking in as he saw the small girl in pain. "but as I cannot cure the tree, I am taking the blame. I'm afraid the tree only has a little time left, unless-" he trailed off shaking his head.

"Unless what?" Annabeth pressed.

"Never mind it." Chiron shook his head. "It is a fool's errand. The only source of magic string enough to cure the Valley was lost centuries ago."

"We can find it." I insisted, standing straight.

"No Percy. You must not act rashly. There is too much at stake. Stay here, at camp. Train, get stronger, work on your technique, but for the sake of the gods, do not leave." He said earnestly, staring at me with focused eyes. I opened my mouth to protest, but he quickly cut me off. "No, Percy. You cannot be drawn into any hasty actions. This may all be a trick, just as it was last summer."

I wanted to protest, but I knew he was right. But that doesn't mean I wasn't upset. Of course I was upset. I wanted to make Kronos pay, I wanted the bastard to go down. He had to be the one that poisoned the tree. Who else would deliver such a low blow to the camp?

Chiron turned his attention away from me and towards the two girls that stood beside me, both of whom looked as if they were holding back tears. Chiron had been a father figure to both of them over the past few years, and now he was just leaving.

"Stay with Percy, Annabeth." He said gently, brushing a hair from her face. "Remember the prophecy."

I racked my brain for an explanation. Prophecy...prophecy..ohh.

"You're talking about the the world-altering prophecy that is about me, but I can't know about?" I said, crossing my arms. I took their lack of response as my answer, and nodded slowly. "Just checking."

"Promise me, Annabeth."

"I promise." She whispered, a single tear slipping down her cheek. Just as the tear fell, thunder rumbled from outside, signaling that it was time for Chiron's departure. With a heavy sigh, he closed his saddle bags.

"I guess it is time for me to leave. Go and join the rest of the camp at dinner, there is no more for you to do here." He sighed deeply, making his way towards the front doors of the Big House. We followed him, the only sounds being the soft clop-clop of the centaur's hooves, and Tyson's muffled cries of "Pony! Don't go!"

As he reached the threshold, he turned to look at us once more. "Annabeth, keep Percy safe. Percy, keep yourself away from danger." We both nodded, and he turned his gaze to the final member of our group, the one he had yet to address. "And Ariana?" She shakily brought her gaze up to meet his, her mismatched eyes glistening with fresh tears.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Remember what I told you." He said simply. She gave him a shaky nod, the words obviously holding a deeper meaning for her than they did for Annabeth and I. And with that, he turned and trotted away, leaving us to stand numbly in the deserted living room, his final words weighing heavily on all of our minds.

"He said not to do anything reckless of stupid." Annabeth said, finally shattering the silence.

"What are we going to do?" I wondered out loud. I wasn't expecting an answer, but I wanted one. What were we supposed to do? The one place that was supposed to be safe for Demigods was now no longer safe. Soon this place would be crawling with monsters. What was going to happen to all of us? Were we all going to have to go back to where we came from? Would we have to go home and take our chances? What did that mean for people like Ari, for people who had no other place to go? This was her home, and it was about to disappear forever, all because of some titan-lord that seemed hellbent in ruining our lives.

"Probably something reckless and stupid." Ariana huffed, a flicker of humor in her voice. For just a brief moment, I caught a glimmer of amusement in her mismatched eyes, a glimpse at the Ari that I used to know, the one that was full of sarcasm and puns and quips and jokes, one who was quick to lighten the mood. For a moment, we were back to last year, back to that brief point in time when everything was okay. But it was just for a moment, and then it went away as quickly as it came, replaced by a shattered gaze. "But that's just a guess."

 **That was a long one guys! It's about to get goooood. Leave me a review if you can. You would make me smile so much!**


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